Green Score
This environmental & ethical ranking of the University is provided courtesy of the People & Planet Green League - the only comprehensive and independent green ranking of every UK university. Choosing a greener university can reduce your carbon footprint and improve your job prospects in a global low-carbon economy.

History

Founded in 1875, the Edinburgh School of Cookery was created to improve women's education and career opportunities and to improve the diets of the urban poor.

From its beginnings, the university has always focused on contributing in practical ways to improving the quality of human life and serving the community.

Today, inspired by its history and the great tradition of Scottish education, Queen Margaret has developed into a modern university which prepares graduates for useful careers and equips them with the skills which will help them make a real difference to society. Its teaching and research are designed to enhance the social and economic well-being of the communities it serves – within Scotland, the UK and internationally.

Location and Transport

Relocated to a new purpose-built university campus on the southeast side of Edinburgh in 2007. Its modern campus is right next to Musselburgh train station (6-minute train journey to the centre of Edinburgh).

Vibrant modern academic village with high-tech buildings and attractive landscaped spaces, featuring an innovative learning resource centre, modern student residences, students' union building, indoor sports facilities and all weather surfaces. The academic building features high quality specialist facilities including practical research laboratories, a nursing simulation suite, and working speech, audiology and podiatry clinics.

Entry Standards

Find information on entry standards at Queen Margaret online.

Student Mix

The 5,215 students enrolled in the academic year 2013/14 comprise:

Level of study

Undergraduate

67%

Postgraduate

33%

Mode of study

Full Time

67%

Part Time

33%

Domicile

UK

79%

EU

13%

Other

8%

Student gender

Male

27%

Female

73%

Course Flexibility

Some courses available via distance learning – please contact Admissions for advice about this particular area.

Teaching Standards

The University, which has over 6,000 students and more than 470 staff, is divided into two schools: the School of Arts, Social Sciences and Management and the School of Health Sciences.

Lecturing staff are actively engaged in ongoing research and collaborative work with external agencies, businesses and academics from other institutions. In the past few years our researchers have secured an increasing number of prestigious research grants from the UK Research Councils including the AHRC, ESRC and EPSRC and have also received funding from the Chief Scientist Office, NHS, central and local government, charities and industry. We are also very active in knowledge exchange work.

Our research and knowledge exchange work helps ensure that teaching is up-to-date and relevant, benefiting from the latest thinking and developments in the field.

QMU’s robust arrangements for securing academic standards and for enhancing the quality of the student experience were confirmed through its achievement of the highest level of judgement, i.e. 'Effective' in the Enhancement-led Institutional Review conducted by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (2013).

Research Standards

Results from the Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014) have clearly shown that Queen Margaret University has achieved its best ever results with 58% of its overall research being rated as world leading or internationally excellent. QMU is producing three times as many world leading publications than it did in 2008 and has moved up 49 places (since the Research Assessment Exercise 2008) putting the University in 80th place within the Times Higher rankings for research excellence.

Renowned for its research in Speech and Language Sciences, QMU has seen further enhancement with 92% of its speech research and impact rated as internationally excellent or world leading. Speech and Language Sciences is 2nd in the UK and 1st in Scotland for the proportion of research classed as internationally excellent or world leading (92%). These results confirm that QMU’s Clinical Audiology, Speech and Language Research Centre continues to be an internationally renowned research facility (with 36% of its publications rated as world leading).

QMU has also ranked 1st in Scotland for media publications with 77% of its outputs ranked as world leading and internationally excellent. This places us in 12th position in the UK.

In the area of allied health over 40% of research publications (outputs) are rated world leading or internationally excellent.

Over 50% of the research profile in international health and development is internationally excellent.

Research in Psychology resulted in outstanding impact. (This was the first time that Psychology had been submitted to REF and 29% of research in this area is internationally excellent.)

QMU’s REF submission also reflects the University’s commitment to equality and diversity in research careers. The University was proud to submit a high volume of research from its early career researchers.

Find out more at: http://www.qmu.ac.uk/research_knowledge/ref.aspx

Academic Strengths

Queen Margaret University has academic flagship areas in Health and Rehabilitation, Sustainable Business, and Creativity and Culture.

Within these flagship areas, the University provides highly relevant professional education and research that informs policy and practice in health, performing arts, media and social science, and business, enterprise and management.

QMU’s Health and Rehabilitation flagship area is underpinned by a portfolio of health courses - the University has the widest range of allied health professional courses of any university in Scotland.

Within the area of health and rehabilitation, flagships include food and nutrition, speech and hearing sciences, international nursing education and rehabilitation science.

The University’s work in Health and Rehabilitation has a global reach, not least through its Institute for International Health and Development (IIHD). Focused on the social determinants of health in globally and locally marginalised populations, IIHD provides post-graduate education, research and technical assistance to development agencies and governments.

An excellent reputation for healthcare courses, particularly with an international reputation for excellence in the area of speech & language therapy.

Results from the Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014) shown that QMU has achieved its best ever results with 58% of its overall research being rated as world leading or internationally excellent. QMU is producing three times as many world leading publications than it did in 2008 and has moved up 49 places (since the Research Assessment Exercise 2008) putting the University in 80th place within the Times Higher rankings for research excellence.

Renowned for its research in Speech and Language Sciences, QMU has seen further enhancement with 92% of its speech research and impact rated as internationally excellent or world leading. Speech and Language Sciences is 2nd in the UK and 1st in Scotland for the proportion of research classed as internationally excellent or world leading (92%). These results confirm that QMU’s Clinical Audiology, Speech and Language Research Centre continues to be an internationally renowned research facility (with 36% of its publications rated as world leading).

QMU has also ranked 1st in Scotland for media publications with 77% of its outputs ranked as world leading and internationally excellent. This places us in 12th position in the UK.

In the area of allied health over 40% of research publications (outputs) are rated world leading or internationally excellent.

Over 50% of the research profile in international health and development is internationally excellent.

Research in Psychology resulted in outstanding impact. (This was the first time that Psychology had been submitted to REF and 29% of research in this area is internationally excellent.)

QMU’s REF submission also reflects the University’s commitment to equality and diversity in research careers. The University was proud to submit a high volume of research from its early career researchers.

Established three academic flagship areas - health and rehabilitation, sustainable business, and culture and creativity - as a focus for future investment and development.

Our student numbers of buoyant.

In 2011 QMU became the first university in the UK to offer a UK degree delivered face-to-face in Nepal.

QMU’s focus on continuous improvement is reflected in year-on-year improvement in the National Student Survey score for student satisfaction overall from 78% to 83%.

In 2012 QMU’s Division of Business, Enterprise and Management launched Scotland’s first condensed Business Management honours degree. The three-year BA (Hons) degree started in September 2012.

In order to continue offering students the opportunity for broaden their horizons, QMU has initiated new exchange agreements with universities in Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong.

93.3% of QMU graduates find employment or go on to further training within 6 months of graduating.

Winner of Outstanding Leadership and Management Team category of the Times Higher Education Leadership and Management Awards 2012.

In 2013 QMU became the first HE institution in the east of Scotland to host the Children’s University.

Shortlisted for collaborative partnership with Propeller Multimedia Ltd, a specialist speech software company, at the Interface Excellence Awards; named as one of the greenest universities in Scotland by the People & Planet Green League 2013.

QMU Student Services Team awarded the Matrix Quality Standard which assesses and measures the quality of advice and support services offered to individual students.

Student Facilities

The Learning Resource Centre (LRC) is a one-stop shop for the learning, teaching and research needs of students.

The LRC has 1,000 study spaces, most with IT. Its flexible modern learning spaces include social, group, quiet, silent and individual study areas.

In 2013, QMU’s Student Services team celebrating its achievement of the Matrix quality standard. Matrix, which is a national quality framework, promotes the delivery of high quality information, advice and guidance.

QMU is the first University in Scotland to have a Business Gateway located on campus. Run by East Lothian Council, part of the Gateway’s focus is on encouraging students and new graduates to develop as entrepreneurs.

The Third Sector Internship Scheme, led by QMU, The Open University in Scotland and the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, helps hundreds of university students provide invaluable support to over 100 community groups, charities, social enterprises and voluntary organisations. Students, who take up a variety of paid internship positions across Scotland, have the opportunity to develop their skills and employability whilst making a meaningful contribution to a third sector organisation.

The University also runs several scholarship scheme including the Santander University Scholarships.

Disability Services

For information about the disability services at Queen Margaret, telephone 0131 474 0000, email jjebb@qmu.ac.uk or visit the website.

In 2012 the University publicly pledged its commitment to work with 'See Me' to tackle the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental ill-health.

Students' Union

n February 2014, the Vice President of the Students Union played a key role in launching Edinburgh's first student-led arts festival.

The festival celebrated the creative work of students from Queen Margaret University (QMU), as well as four other universities and colleges around the capital.

Recent/Prospective New Builds

Queen Margaret University is a modern campus development having being built in 2007.

Availability of Part-Time Work

The JobShop offers a free service to all QMU students, helping them find suitable employment and suitable work experience while studying.

Offers information and advice on many employment related matters, such as application forms, CVs, and tax and national insurance.

The JobShop also runs a mentoring scheme for students which includes a range of different employers.

Careers Guidance

'Careers Advice for Life' service

Our campus-based Careers and Employability team recently extended its service by offering QMU students and graduates free ‘Careers Advice for Life’. Most universities only offer their students a free careers advice service up to three years after graduation, but as part of QMU’s robust employability and development strategy, QMU alumni can now look forward to continued specialist support from the University’s team of careers specialists.

QMU’s Careers and Employability team helps and supports students throughout their studies and after graduation, whether they are looking to find part-time employment, voluntary work, relevant work experience or graduate employment.

QMU also has close links with professional bodies and its courses are constantly adapted to meet the changing needs of employers, students and society as a whole.

Commenting on new ‘Careers for Life’ service, Marion Pollock, Careers Adviser from QMU, said: “We recognise that our graduates embark on a lifelong careers journey, so we want to take our existing service a step further by providing them with advice and support for life.

“Whether our students are still studying, recently graduated or part way through their career, QMU’s dedicated team of professional staff is now equipped to offer continued assistance.

“We encourage students and graduates to make the most of the service provided so that they are confident and able effectively to market their knowledge, skills and experience to potential employers in a changing jobs market.”

Angel Coulby, actor in the TV hit fantasy series, Merlin where she plays Guinevere. Angel has also starred next to Johnny Vaughan in Orrible and appeared in The Bill, Casualty, Holby City, Hustle, Doctor Who and Vincent.

Catriona Strachan, the face of Marks and Spencer’s online TV channel.

Jacqui Lunday, Chief Health Professions Officer, Scottish Government

Fiona Burrell, Principal and Managing Director of the Edinburgh New Town Cookery School and formerly Co-Principal of Leiths School of Food and Wine.

Ashley Russell, one of the finalists in the BBC talent show-themed TV series I’d Do Anything, she is now performing all over the world on the Mamma Mia international tour.

Ruth George, created costumes and worked on wardrobe on several high profile films and productions including Holywood blockbuster Gravity; TV feature film Treasure Island; the musical Top Hat; and Richard II for the Royal Shakespeare Company.